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Minimalist Beauty

your life as beauty from the inside out

Minimalist Beauty

Makeup Specifically For Acne Prone Skin

November 7, 2014 by Dawn Michelle

If you have read my article on the best oils for acne prone skin, you are now aware of the need to find natural makeup with carrier oils that are only high in linoleic acid, or are free of carrier oils all together, for example some natural brands of powdered mineral makeup.  It is extremely easy to change your skin care regimen to simple DIY skin care to heal acne, yet more challenging finding quality natural makeup that won’t contribute to more breakouts.  There are more and more natural beauty brands emerging on the market, yet many of them contain coconut oil, almond oil, and other carrier oils high in oleic acid that can clog pores especially for those who are acne prone.

Once you become more aware of the carrier oils that are high in linoleic acid, make it a consistent practice to read ALL of the ingredient labels, and look for both skin care, hair care, and makeup that contain them.

Acne prone skin is naturally low in linoleic acid.  It is high concentrations of oleic acid in the skin’s sebum which clog pores creating acne, as well as poor diet, digestion issues, dehydration, chemical laden beauty products, etc.  Using natural skin care and makeup which contain carrier oils that are higher in linoleic acid really helps to balance out the skin topically.  It is still crucial to focus on healing the body from the inside out too though.  Our skin reflects what is going on inside the body as well as mental and emotional stress levels, so let’s not forget that.  With that said let’s look at a few makeup items that will be more suitable for acne prone skin based on the ingredients.  Please note that not every product from the brands listed below contain carrier oils high in linoleic acid, so please read the labels of any other products that you may be interested in.  For more information on the best oils for acne prone skin read this!

Primer/No Color Foundation

Vapour Organic Beauty Stratus Instant Skin Perfector

Ingredients: oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil* infused with boswellia carteri (frankincense)**, ocimum sanctum (tulsi/holy basil)*, nelumbo nucifera (lotus) flower petals**, helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil*, silica, cera alba (beeswax)*, lysine, sambucus nigra (elderberry) fruit extract, lecithin, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil & lecithin & cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed oil & papain (papaya)*, mica (ci 77019), titanium dioxide (ci 77891), essential oils & natural fruit essences, tocopherol (natural vitamin e).

Foundations/Concealer

Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Luminous Foundation

Ingredients: Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Silica, Mica, Essential Oils & Natural Fruit Essences, Wildcrafted Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Gum, Organic Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi/Holy Basil) Leaf Extract, Organic Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) Leaf Extract [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499)]

W3LL People Altruist Mineral Foundation

Ingredients:  zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarine blue, mica, kaolin clay, serecite, silica, aloe barbadenis (aloe)*, matricaria recutita (chamomile)*, camellia sinensis (green tea)*.

Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation

Ingredients: titanium dioxide (ci 77891)*, zinc oxide (ci 77947)*, mica (ci 77019)*. may contain + / – : iron oxides* ( ci 77491*, ci 77492*, ci 77499* ).

W3LL People Narcissist Foundation + Concealer Stick

Ingredients: helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil*, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, cera alba (beeswax)*, silica, castor isostearate beeswax succinate **, mica (ci 77019), carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil (and) aloe barbadenis (aloe) extract, lysine, non-gmo tocopherol (sunflower derived), proprietary essential oil blend, camellia sinensis (green tea)*, roman anthemis nobilis (chamomile)**.

may contain + / – : titanium dioxide (ci 77891), iron oxides (ci 77491, 77492, 77499).

Vapour Organic Beauty Illusionist Concealer

Ingredients: Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Silica, Mica, Essential Oils & Natural Fruit Essences, Wildcrafted Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Gum, Organic Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi/Holy Basil) Leaf Extract, Organic Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) Leaf Extract [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499)]

Powder

Alima Pure Satin Finishing Powder

Ingredients: mica (ci 77019)*. may contain + / – : iron oxides* ( ci 77491*, ci 77492*, ci 77499* ).

Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer Powder

Ingredients: titanium dioxide (ci 77891)*, zinc oxide (ci 77947)*, mica (ci 77019)*. may contain + / – : iron oxides* ( ci 77491*, ci 77492*, ci 77499* ).

RMS Beauty “Un” Powder

Ingredients: 100% Pure Silica

Blush

Vapour Organic Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blush – Classic

Ingredients: Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Silica, Mica, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate*, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Essential Oils & Natural Fruit Essences, Wildcrafted Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Gum, Organic Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi/Holy Basil) ) Leaf Extract, Organic Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) ) Leaf Extract [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Carmine (CI 75470)]

Vapour Organic Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blush – Stain

Ingredients: Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Oil, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Silica, Mica, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate*, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Essential Oils & Natural Fruit Essences, Wildcrafted Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Gum, Organic Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi/Holy Basil) ) Leaf Extract, Organic Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) ) Leaf Extract [+/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Carmine (CI 75470)]

W3LL People Purist Mineral Blush

Ingredients: mica, iron oxides, titanium dioxide. may contain + / : ultramarine blue, ferric ferrocyanide, aloe barbadenis powder (aloe)*, matricaria recutita (chamomile)*, camellia sinensis (green tea)*.

Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush

Ingredients: mica (ci 77019)*. may contain + / – : iron oxides* ( ci 77491*, ci 77492*, ci 77499* ), titanium dioxide (ci 77891)*.

Bronzer

Alima Pure Bronzer

Ingredients: mica (ci 77019)*. may contain + / – : iron oxides* ( ci 77491*, ci 77492*, ci 77499 )*, titanium dioxide (ci 77891)*.

W3LL People Bio Bronzer

Ingredients: mica, iron oxides, titanium dioxide. may contain + / – : ultramarine blue, ferric ferrocyanide, aloe barbadenis powder (aloe)*, matricaria recutita (chamomile), camellia sinensis (green tea)*.

Although I did not mention this in the article on oils high in linoleic acid, shea butter and cocoa butter are higher in oleic acid.  Those are two others ingredients in many natural beauty brands that I personally avoid as I have noticed that although wonderful for the skin have caused me to break out.  And yes I did stop using my beloved shea butter in my hair because of it.

After one full year of only using products and ingredients that were higher in linoleic acid, I realized that this scientific theory of topically using carrier oils higher in linoleic acid greatly helped to balance the sebum in my skin and heal my skin overall.  Many other readers who have tried using carrier oils high in linoleic acid have shared their success with these types of oils for acne prone skin as well.

I personally make my own foundation and powder at home, and prefer to do so to get the best match for my skin complexion, and to minimize the use of titanium dioxide which is in almost every makeup that I have seen on the market.  I also have not tried every makeup item listed, yet am suggesting them based off of their ingredients.  I have used Vapour Organic Beauty products, and have tried and loved their Stratus Instant Skin Perfector and Aura Multi-Use Blush – Stain in “crave”.

Lastly if you enjoy using powdered makeup it is extremely important to keep your makeup brushes very very clean.  Bacteria from dirty brushes can contaminate your makeup and create more acne.  If possible do your best to wear minimal face makeup as much as possible so that your skin can breath.  I know it can be very challenging because we get used to how our skin looks in foundation etc.  Weaning yourself off of makeup (specifically foundation) is what really helps to get your skin to the next level.  The Vapour Organic Beauty Stratus Instant Skin Perfector is the product that I used over the past few years to help me feel more comfortable not wearing a full face of foundation, concealer, bronzer and highlighter.

Wearing makeup and desiring clear skin is almost a complete contradiction, yet it is possible to become less dependent as your skin heals.  You can read how I cleared my skin and acne scars here.

Don’t forget about the Mountain Rose Herbs Henna Giveaway which ends November 24th!

Update… Organic Skin Care by Minimalist Beauty ~ i am AZUHA ~ Created With Oils High in Linoleic Acid

(Image by Dawn Michelle)

Stay Connected with Minimalist Beauty & Subscribe with bloglovin’. Also Join the Community on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. For more about Dawn Michelle go here!

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  1. Marah says

    November 7, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    I was under the impression that castor and sunflower oils were high in oleic acid…Guess I was wrong! Are you comfortable with using these oils on your skin? What is the linoleic/oleic acid balance of sunflower? Also, what is your take on beeswax?

    Thanks for the great list! I’m glad to have it for future reference.

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      November 10, 2014 at 11:05 pm

      Hi Marah,
      Castor oil is higher in linoleic oil and sunflower oil is sometimes higher in oleic or linoleic depending on how the oil is produced and if it is genetically modified. I have seen varying values of sunflower oil. As for beeswax I haven’t had any problems with it yet if you have had problems I wouldn’t use it. You can see more oil ratios of oleic vs linoleic here. <3

      Reply
  2. Mariah says

    November 8, 2014 at 8:14 am

    I was under the impression that sunflower oil and castor oil were high in oleic acid…guess I was wrong! What is the oil composition of sunflower? Also, how do you feel about using beeswax on your skin? Do you think it affects acne?

    Thanks for the great list! It’s nice to have this for future reference.

    Reply
  3. Glenda says

    November 8, 2014 at 9:03 am

    I use Vapour cosmetics, too, and I adore them. My skin looks better than ever before in my life, and it’s also due to rigorously sticking to eating a Primal/Paleo/organic/grass-fed-meats diet. People very often tell me that my skin looks like it glows.

    Thanks for this post, I’m letting others know about it!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      November 10, 2014 at 11:10 pm

      Hi Glenda,
      Once you stop eating processed foods and eat organic whole foods you will definitely notice a huge difference in your skin. Thanks for sharing this!

      Reply
  4. Kisha says

    November 11, 2014 at 5:29 am

    Hi Dawn, great post. I follow the same skin care routine you do still in corporating jojoba oil here and there. I really like Alima pure blush and bronzer but am trying to avoid titanium dioxide. One thing I read about recently is the increased used of oils with omega 6 and 9 that is highly present in soy products which may not be very good for us and our gut. Also saw a video about magnesium oil as deodorant on YouTube by spark wisdom very insightful video about magnesium deficiency and symptoms such as infertility and sleeplessness. Just sharing what I have learned 🙂

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      November 11, 2014 at 12:56 pm

      Thanks Kisha!
      I avoid soy products and processed foods in general. Thanks for sharing this information as well. I’m going to check out that video. <3

      Reply
  5. yvon says

    November 11, 2014 at 7:00 am

    for a oily combination, acne prone skin, what type of makeup foundation/concealer suit it, eg. liquid, cream, stick, powder?

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      November 11, 2014 at 1:03 pm

      Hi Yvon,
      Powdered mineral foundations and concealers work well with oily skin yet the type of makeup you use is also a personal preference. Most importantly focus on skin care to help balance oily skin. Our skin produces excess oil when it is stripped by harsh cleansers etc. as well as a result to eating highly processed and fried foods. I enjoy oil cleansing yet you can find gentle solutions for skin care in this series. Best wishes!

      Reply
  6. Karin | green conscience says

    November 24, 2014 at 11:13 pm

    Have you tried linolenic instead of linoleic acid oils? For me, that made as much difference as my switch from random oils and butters to the more linoleic ones.

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      November 25, 2014 at 5:22 pm

      Hi Karin,
      I stick with high linoleic oils as that is what has worked best for me. Hope you’re having a great day!

      Reply
  7. Sara says

    September 21, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    Thanks so much for your beautiful site and this fantastic list! I appreciate the research you’ve done and the insight you’ve shared. I do have a question regarding the ratio of linoleic to oleic acids within overall product formulations. For example, if a product has some tamanu or a bit of a butter (say, mango) but also has evening primrose and pumpkin seed, it would be entirely possible for the overall ratio of the product to still be relatively high in linoleic and relatively low in oleic acids. So my question is, if it’s the ratio that’s important, would the “end” result still be suitable for acneic skin? Or is it really just crucial to avoid something like tamanu altogether? I ask in part because my skin does not love beeswax so Valour and W3ll People products aren’t great choices for me, and while I love my Alima powder sometimes it’s not sufficient coverage. I’m eyeballing Raw Skin Ceuticals (because the ratios might be agreeable), Haute Cosmetic’s (because reviews sound good for when more coverage is needed), and Gressa (because I can’t find fatty acid info for some of the ingredients and it gets good reviews) foundation offerings. I would so appreciate your feedback! Thanks again for all you contribute to the minimalist lifestyle conversation!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      September 22, 2015 at 1:51 pm

      Hi Sara,
      I use only high linoleic oils now because even when I mixed shea butter (which is high in oleic acid) with three high linoleic oils and used it on my hair this spring it broke me out. I shared my one year update with using high linoleic oils here and I am now two years in.

      Reply
  8. sarah weiss says

    July 14, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    Hi, Dawn!
    I’ve been searching for new, clean make up for my skin and found that Alima has a pressed foundation and wanted to know your thoughts on it. There are A lot of ingredients in it, which seem to be pretty clean and skin-healing and soothing, but I wouldn’t want to start putting even more unnecessary ingredients on my skin. I will post the ingredients below so you can see them. Naturally I am very fair with very dry skin and slight hormonal acne on my jawline.

    “Mica, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Zinc Stearate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E, Sunflower derived), Squalane (vegetable derived), Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Limonene, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract,Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Leaf Extract, Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Sweet Orange) Peel Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract [+/- CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI77491 (Iron Oxide-Red), CI 77492 (Iron Oxide-Yellow), CI 77499 (Iron Oxide-Black)]. *Made from a proprietary blend of all-natural essential oils. Vegan and gluten free.”

    That’s the whole list. What do you think about it?? Thanks so much for your time!

    <3 sarah.

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      July 18, 2017 at 2:33 pm

      Hi Sarah,

      My main concern with these ingredients is fragrance (parfum) which is listed near the top. It is one of the most toxic and irritating ingredients used in cosmetics. I’m wondering why it is not just listed as an essential oil blend if that is truly the case. Otherwise it could possibly contain more. I also avoid shea butter for my face since it makes me break out. I’ve never tried argan oil because it is high in oleic acid. I hope this helps.

      Reply
  9. Michelle says

    August 13, 2017 at 10:50 am

    Hi, what sunscreen would you recommend for oily skin that has occasional acne ?

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      August 16, 2017 at 7:44 am

      Hi Michelle,
      I shared some of my favorite sunscreens here. I hope that the info is helpful to you!

      Reply
  10. Dolly says

    September 8, 2017 at 3:46 pm

    Have you ever tried 100% Pure products? I’ve found that they are the only line that doesn’t make me break out. They are tinted with fruit extracts even. I love this line and encourage you to try it!

    Reply
    • Dolly says

      September 8, 2017 at 3:48 pm

      And, by the way, thank you for this blog! I have my Amazon cart full and am ready to check out! I can’t wait for your skincare line to come out so I can try that too!

      Reply
      • Dawn Michelle says

        September 11, 2017 at 3:21 pm

        Hi Dolly,
        I have tried and enjoyed 100% Pure products. Also I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog and I appreciate your excitement for the skin care line. I’m looking forward to sharing it. Best wishes!

        Reply
  11. Masha Sarah Huq says

    October 24, 2018 at 11:55 am

    Hi

    Try the zuii organics producta and give us a review about it? What do you think?

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      October 28, 2018 at 4:17 pm

      Hi Masha,
      I originally wrote this article in 2014. Since last fall I actually stopped wearing makeup all together. It seemed radical at first, but it has been such a freeing decision.

      Reply
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